Hastings celebrate away victory

Hastings United’s footballers made it two away victories in the space of four days.
Kenny Pogue gave Hastings United a half time lead en route to their 3-1 victory away to Sittingbourne. Picture courtesy Terry S. BlackmanKenny Pogue gave Hastings United a half time lead en route to their 3-1 victory away to Sittingbourne. Picture courtesy Terry S. Blackman
Kenny Pogue gave Hastings United a half time lead en route to their 3-1 victory away to Sittingbourne. Picture courtesy Terry S. Blackman

The U’s followed up their 2-1 win at Whyteleafe in the FA Cup on Saturday with a 3-1 success against Sittingbourne in Ryman Football League Division One South tonight (Tuesday).

Kenny Pogue gave United the lead late in the first half, and second half strikes from Ade Olorunda and a Dave Cook cracker sealed the points before Sittingbourne nabbed a late consolation.

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United made two changes to the starting line-up from the Whyteleafe game, with Taser Hassan replacing the injured Sam Adams and Kenny Pogue coming in for Frankie Sawyer. Sean Ray took over the captain’s armband.

Sittingbourne went into the match lying in the top six and averaging nearly two points per game, but they were almost behind when Ray’s header from a Hassan corner was cleared off the line.

U’s goalkeeper Josh Pelling made a good save from Kieran Burrell and the ball rebounded back onto the Sittingbourne player before going just wide. Pelling’s opposite number Adam Molloy produced a decent stop of his own to keep out Cook’s header from a Ronnie Dolan cross.

Pogue’s volley from a Hassan cross bounced over in United’s best chance until that point, but Pogue put the visitors ahead in the 44th minute with an overhead kick over Molloy from a tight angle following a long throw.

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Into the second half and Molloy palmed away Olalekan Bankole’s long range effort after a Dolan shot was blocked. Bankole and Pogue also had efforts blocked moments before Pogue headed over from a corner.

Olorunda put United two-up in the 70th minute. Fresh off his spectacular winner against Whyteleafe, Olorunda made it two goals in as many games by latching on to Sam Cruttwell’s throughball and scoring with a left-foot shot from the edge of the box.

Although Sawyer limped off just four minutes after coming on as a substitute, Cook added United’s third goal in the 79th minute with a remarkable 40-yard chip having spotted Molloy off his line.

Pelling missed out on a clean sheet after Sittingbourne pulled one back in the 90th minute courtesy of a curling shot from Tom Brunt. The result moves United up to 13th in the table with 12 points from nine games.

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United: Pelling, Rose, Cruttwell, Bankole, Ray, King, Cook, Hassan, A. Olorunda, Pogue, Dolan. Subs: Temba, Sawyer, Masters, T. Olorunda, Johnson.

United, incidentally, will be away to Grays Athletic in FA Cup second round qualifying on Saturday September 27 after the Ryman Premier side won 4-2 in their first round qualifying replay away to Division One North high-flyers Harlow Town tonight.